The caboose provided the train crew with a shelter at the rear of the train. The crew could exit the train for switching or to protect the rear of the train when stopped. They also inspected the train for problems such as shifting loads, broken or dragging equipment, and hot boxes. The conductor kept records and handled business from a table or desk in the caboose.
By the mid-1970's, the Burlington Northern still rostered a very large and diverse group of cabooses. Many of those mainly used in local and yard service still wore obsolete predecessor paint schemes. BN 11424 was built as the NP 1087 at Brainerd, Minnesota, in 1954.
The Belt Railway of Chicago painted up one of their shorty transfer cabooses in red, white, and blue for America's bicentennial. It is shown two days before the big celebration, in July 1976.
Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) - Because of its unique status in the roster of railroad rolling stock, the caboose has an individuality unmatched by any other equipment. A colorful example is this Chessie System bay-window car, being used by the CSX near Chicago in 1991.
Illinois Central Gulf - A real oddball on the ICG caboose roster, this is a former Penn Central class N-8 car. It was assigned to Chicago area yard and transfer service, back in July 1976.
Northern Pacific Railway No.1632 was built in May 1906 at Brainerd, Minnesota. It was assigned the number 10632 in anticipation of the BN merger, but was never actually renumbered as such, and later became the BN 10865. It was working in yard and transfer service for the BN, still in full NP paint and lettering, at Superior, Wisconsin, back in July 1971.
Burlington Northern Railroad - This old girl had recently been given a complete reconditioning, which included sandblasting, and new paint. Also, new window glazing, red marker lights, interior paint, cut down ladders, and the roofwalk was removed. She was built at Aurora, Illinois, in March 1930, as the CB&Q "NE-10" 13513.
Conrail had a large and very diverse collection of cabooses. CR 23260 was a former Pennsy class "N-8" car. It was ready to depart the Chicago area on an eastbound freight in September 1976.
Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) - Now the property of CSX, this colorful C&O "Safety Caboose" was near Chicago in late 1990.
Erie Lackawanna had an attractive caboose paint scheme, which was similar to their locomotive image, but reversed. C312 was spotted in Chicago, less than three months before the startup of Conrail.
Seaboard Coast Line - This former Atlantic Coast Line caboose was assigned to Seaboard System's Tampa Division in 1985. It was being used in Florida's Bone Valley phosphate train service.
Grand Trunk Western - Referred to as a "van" by GTW crewmen, this modern road caboose was found parked at IHB's Blue Island Yard in early 1990.
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific (Rock Island) - This nice looking bay-window road caboose proudly displays the new "Rock" image, on a cold December 1976 day near Chicago.LINK: See more of Kevin Piper's railroad photos on RailPictures.Net
